Separable fastening device



June 23, 1931. L. RocKE SEPARABLE FASTENI ING DEVICE Filed April 21, 1928 INLLNTOR Iouis Roe-Ice Patented Jline 23, 1931 UNITED STA TIE-S PATENT LOUIS 'nooxn, or :mooxmm, new Yonx OFFICE SEPABABLE FASTENING DEVICE Application filed April 21,

example the edge of a garment, and are caused to be brought'into interlocking engagement by the action of a slider which, when slid longitudinally of the edge of the material in one direction, effects the locking of the members and, when slid in the 'opposite direction, causes the members to be unlocked.

The principal object'of the present in-' vention is to improve upon devices of the above character, by so constructing the fastening members that they will move, under the influence of the slider; more readily into engagement. v

A further object is to increase the strength of the fastening members while at the same time avoiding any undue increase in the weight of the parts.

Another object is to so-construct the fastening members that they will have no exposed sharp edges, such as could catch in or tear the garment or cut the fingers of the operator.

A further object is to improve upon and simplify the construction of the slider 'so that it will not only function more efiiciently but in addition the manufacturing cost thereof will be decreased.

Another object is to construct'the fastening members as male and female parts, thelatter being provided with a through aperture, extending in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the flexible member and serving to engage the two adjacent male members,'and said aperture of the terminal female member also serving to co-operate with a hookshaped male member topermit the complete separation of the two edges of a garment and the re-engagement in properoperative relationship of the parts which form the end members of the series of fasteners, said reengagement being automatically effected by the mere insertion of the hook-shaped member longitudinally into .the slider. The above and other objects will appear more fully from the following more detailed 1 1928. Serial No. 271,764.

description and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a satisfactory'constrnctional example of a seperable fastening device embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the slider taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged. side elevation partly in section showing the manner in which the fastening members move in and out of locked engagement;

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of a female and I a male fastening member respectively; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 8 is a development of the metal blank from which the slider is constructed.

As shown in the drawings a pair of stringers 10 and 11 in; the form of fabric tapes are provided along one longitudinal edge with a beaded portion 12 about which the fastening members are securely clamped. Although any suitable expedient may .be employed for making the beaded portion 12, such for example as binding or turning the edge of the tape around a small cord or thread of the proper diameter, I prefer to emplo a tapein which the beaded edge is formed y cording the edge thereof in the weaving, thus not only eliminating the extra-sewing machine operation required when the edge is bound or turned but also providing a much stronger construction.

Secured at spaced intervals alon the beaded edge of the stringer 10 is a p urality of male fastening members 13 each of which comprises a reduced preferably cylindrical shank portion 13 terminating at its inner end in a pair of gripping jaws 13 adapted to be bentinto clamped engagement with said beaded edge to secure said members permanently to the stringer. At its outer end the shank portion 13 terminates in a ball portion 13 the top and bottom parts of which form protuberances extending laterally from said shank portion.

The stringer 11 has secured to it at spaced intervals, a plurality of female fastening members 14 each of which also has a-central, preferably substantially cylindrical, shank portion 14 the inner end of which also terminates in a pair of gripping jaws 14 similar to the jaws 13". Each of the 'aws 13 and 14 at its inner end is provide with a small pointed hooked end 15 adapted to penetrate the mesh of'the tape and interlock with the threads thereof. The outer end of the shank portion of each of the female members 14 merges and terminates in a flattened head 14 which is provided with a through aperture 14 into the opposite ends of which the ball portions 13 of an adjacent pair of the male members 13 are adapted to be seated.

The outer surface of each flattened head 14 as shown in the drawings is preferably curved or rounded as indicated by the reference character 14.

In accordance with the usual construction of devices-of the character to which this invention relates, a slider 25 isprovided for causin the beaded edges of the stringers to be bent or curvedbackwardlyto spread the outer ends of the fastening members apart thus permitting co-operating members to be moved into and out of engagement. The

slider 25 shown in the accompanying drawings is preferably stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal to form similarly shaped Y parallel back and front portions 25, 25 which'are joined at the upper edges by a bridge 26. A pair of tabs 27 extend from the sides of the bridge 26 and each tab terminates in a pair of lateral projections 28 adapted, when said tabs are bent to the position shown in Fig. 1, to be brought into alignment with the apertures 29, 30 formed in the back and front portions 25, 25 respectively. After the tabs 27 have been bent to their proper position, the front and back portions 25",

25 are bent over'into arallelism with each other as indicated in i 2 andLuntiI the lateral projections 28 o the tabs extend through the apertures 29, 30. Theends of the projections are then riveted'over, thus serving to hold the slider securel in its final condition as shown in Fig. 2. ach of the back and front ortions 25, 25 is provided with an inward y turned flange 31 so that when the slider is bent into its final form the flanges 31 form side walls, which terminate at the top of said slider to provide a pair of to openings 32 which communicate with the s ots 33 formed between the ed es of the flanges and which extendlongitu inally of said side walls. The beaded edges ofthe stringers with the fastening members secured thereto are adapted to pass through the openings 32 and the flat part of the stringer tapes through the slots 33. v

In order to provide a convenient means for manipulating the slider the front portion 25' passed through the space between said bar and said front wall.

Se rable fastening devices of the ty e to whic the present invention relates, as heretofore constructed, have been characterized by the fact that it was necessar to maintain the ends of the tapes at one en thereof permanently secured together in order to keep the fasteners'in proper position relatively to each other so that when the stringer was slid longitudinally the co-operating fastening elements would pass readily into locking engagement. Because of this necessity for keepin the ends of the tape in permanently secure relationship, the practical applications of fasteners of this type have been limited unless some special opening and closing device was provided at the ends of the tapes. In accordance with the principles of the present invention I"employ a slightly modified construction for the terminal member of the series of male fasteners at one end of the tape 10. This terminal member as shown in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings and indicated by the reference character 36, has a pair of grippin jaws somewhat similar to the jaws 13", an 14", except that instead of the outer faces of said jaws being of curved configuration said outer faces are flat and extend at an inclination to the side edges of the tape to provide a wedge-shape as clearly indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings.- At its lowermost end the member 36 is provided with a pair of laterally projecting stops 37 which serve to limit the movement of the slider and prevent it from being disengaged from the tape 10. The art of the member 36 which performs the astening function is in the form of a hook- 38 adapted to ass into through holes 14 of the terminal emale member 14. As shown in Fig. 4 in order to provide a sufficient space between the lowermost male member 13 and the terminal member 36 two female members 14 are placed upon the end of the tape 11 in contacting engagement with each other instead of being spaced from each other as are the other elements 14 upon the tape 11.. The space between the lowermost member 13 and the terminal member 36 is such that when the slider 25 is moved to the end of the tape to cause the fastening membars to be disengaged, the member 14 just referred to will be turned upwardly and backwardly a suflicient distance to bring it out of engagement with the upper one of the two terminal female members 14.

' By providing the member 36 with the inclined side walls shown in Fig. 7 so as to provide a wedge-shaped structure, said member that holds the slider against accidental dislocked engagement with their co-operating members, as shown at the lower part of Figs. 1 and 4, the ball-shaped ends 13 of the male members will project into the holes 14 of the female members a sufficient distance to positively prevent accidental displacement or unlocking of the elements. The spacing between the members is also such that when the slider 25 is slid longitudinally to accomplish the disengagement or unlocking of the elements, a sufficient opening is formed by the backward bending or turning of the tapes as indicated at the upper part of Fig. lto permit the fasteningelements to clear one another as they are passing out gagement.

The'operation is substantially the same as the usual operation of devices of this kind.

of locked en- The fastening members are caused to be moved into interlocked engagement by sliding the slider longitudinally of the stringers; as shown in the drawings, movement of the slider upwardly causes the fastening members to be engaged and movement downwardly causes them to be disen aged. As the slider moves upwardly, the e ge of the srringer is caused to be flexed or curved so that the upper portions of both stringers closely adjacent to, and in the upper part of, the slider diverge in such a manner that the spaces between the outer ends or head portions of each adj acent pair of fastening members is increased. While each adjacent pair of fasteners is spread, as it were, the co-operating male and female members are slipped into en agement by the pressure of the inturned anges 31 at the lower, smaller end of the slider. The flanges at the lower end of the slider extend in parallelism and are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the combined width of a co-operating male and female member when the interlockin parts of such members are in engagement. t will be readily under: stood that as these members are caused to be engaged by the action of the slider, the spherical or ball shaped'portions- 13of the male members 13 will enter into the'holes 14 of the female members 14, the two laterally upwardly and downwardly protruding portions of each ball 13 engaging with the holes 14 of female member in turn has its hole 14 in engagement with an adjacent pair of male members on the opposite stringer.

The curved outer surface 14 of the flattened head 14 of each female member and also the curved outer end of each ball portion 13, tend to facilitate the slipping into engagement of the co-operating members. Due to this curvature of each of the members and the general configuration of the flattened head 14, all sharp edges on the protruding parts of. the fastening member are avoided. After the fasteners have been actuated into interlocked engagement the holding action of each co-operating pair of members prevents disengagement of the members immediately below them so that accidental disengagement of the parts is absolutely prevented. When it is desired to disengage or unlock the fasthe well known way, the bridge-26 and tabs 27 at the upper part of the slider functioning to spread the pair of stringers with their respective sets of fastening members apart and to flex the same in such a manner that the fastening members will readily slip out of enagement. When the slider 25 has been slid to the full limit of its travel in performing the unlocking function and is engaged with the wedge-shaped member 36 the lowermost male member 13 will then be swung upwardly and backwardly a sufficient distance to permit the tape 11 with its fastening elements to be slid longitudinally out of the left hand top opening of theslider, thus permittingthe two tapes 10 and 11 to be completely disengaged from each other. If these tapes are assumed to be secured to a garment, such for example as a vest, it will be obvious that such garment can be put on or taken off a wearer in the usual manner and that it will not have to be slipped over the head like a sweater or jersey. The sto s 37 co-operate with the wedge-shaped mem er 36 to positively hold the slider in its proper position in order that the operation of re-engaging the fastening members can be readily accomplished.

The placing of the series of members again into proper position or engagement to be locked again. by the longitudinal sliding of the slider 25 will be readily understood. As has been'above pointed out, the slider is held against movement by the member 36, the lowermost end of the tape 11 is passed into the left side top opening of the slider until the holes of the two contacting female members by in their proper position relatively to the male fastening members. The slider 25 can then he slid upwardly to cause the parts to I 66 an adjacent pair of female members 14. Each move into engagement.

When the book 38 has been inserted into the holes of the two contacting female members 14 at the end of the tape 11, and the slider has been moved upwardl to lock the parts, the terminal end ofthe hook abuts against the ball portion of the lowermost male member 13, thus causing the two lowermost female members to be gripped tightly between the hook and said male member.

As has been hereinbefore pointed out, both the male and the female members are rounded ontheir outer ends so that there is a total' absence of any sharp edges that would tend to catch in, or tear an undergarment of the wearer or would tend to cut or scratch the person of the wearer. The ball shaped construction of the male members and the manner in which said portions engage with a circumferential contact With the female members permits a substantially universal flexure of the fastening elements after they have been locked in engagement, thus permitting a garment provided with the fasteners of m invention to adjust itself readily to irregu ar shapes or contours.

' It will be understood that many changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the principles of my invention.

I claim:

1. A slider for a separable fastening device of the type wherein two sets ofmetallic fastening members secured to the edges of the two pieces of flexible material are moved into and out of interlocked engagement b the action of said slider, characterized by the slider being made of a single piece of sheet metal formed to provide a front portion and a back male set of members for engagement with the holes of said two female members.

3. A separable fastening device comprising two sets of metallic fastening members, each set of said members being secured upon the edge of a flexible material in spaced relationship and being different from the other set, one set comprising male members and the other set female members, the latter being provided with a hole extending parallel to the edge of the material to which they are fastened, characterized by said male members each bein provided with a ball shaped portion whic engages within the holes of two adjacent female members, two female members located in contacting engagement adjacent to one end of the edge of said material, and a hook shaped terminal member located at the corresponding end of the male set of members for engagement with the holes of said two female members, said hook extending through the holes of said two female members and abutting at its terminal end with the ball of the terminal male member.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set In hand.

y LOUIS ROGKE.

set of said members being secured upon the edge of a flexible material in spaced relationship and being different from the other set, one set comprising male members and the other set female. membersi the latter being provided with a hole exten ing parallel to the edge of the material to which they are fastened, characterized by the provision of two female members located in contacting engagement adjacent to one end of theedge of said material, and a hook shaped terminal member located at the corresponding end of the 

